2025-03-12 11:00 | 2025-03-12 12:30
Yuefan Guo, PhD at Nikhef, will defend her thesis Wednesday 12 March 2025 om 11.00 at the Amsterdam University.
“Optical Strategies for Gravitational-Wave Detector Enhancement ” (pdf)
Gravitational waves—ripples in spacetime caused by cosmic events like black hole mergers and neutron star collisions—were first predicted by Einstein over a century ago. Their detection by the LIGO and Virgo collaborations in 2015 marked a breakthrough in astrophysics, opening a new window into the universe. Since then, continuous advancements in detector sensitivity have allowed scientists to observe dozens of these signals, with the 2017 detection of a binary neutron star merger launching the era of multi-messenger astronomy—where both gravitational waves and electromagnetic signals provide a fuller picture of cosmic events.
This research focuses on enhancing gravitational-wave detectors by tackling fundamental noise limitations through advanced optical techniques. Key contributions include:
- Simulations on Reducing coating Brownian noise using higher-order Laguerre-Gaussian modes.
- Implementing frequency dependent squeezing for Advanced Virgo Plus detector to suppress quantum noise.
- Optimizing the Advanced Virgo Plus detector through detailed optical characterization.
The PhD defense will take place in the Aula of the University, Singel 411, 1012 WN Amsterdam.
More information and link to the livestream on the website of the UvA.
Supervisor: prof. dr. F.L. Linde
Co-supervisor: dr. M. Tacca
Contact: Yuefan Guo